Outboard motor lock



May 26, 1953 w. K. KNUTSON OUTBOARD MOTOR LOCK Filed Feb. 2, 1951 93. MW ZZ INVENTOR Woodrow If. Knutson Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD MOTOR LOCK Woodrow K. Knutson, La Crosse, Wis. Application February 2, 1951, Serial No. 208,999

(Cl. YO-58) 9 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in outboard motor lock and deals particularly with an apparatus useful in looking an outboard motor in place upon a boat or similar support.

Many outboard motors are lost each year when the clamps holding the motor in place work loose. As a result many persons follow the practice of tying the motor to the boat with a safety chain or the like. It is difficult to employ a cord or chain for this purpose which can not be broken,

out, or disengaged with comparative ease. Therefore, while the chains may prevent accidental loss of the motor, they do not provide a positive means of preventing theft of the motor.

A feature of the present invention lies in the transom of the boat. These locking means may 1 be locked together by a suitable padlock or the like so that the motor may not be removed from the boat.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a plate designed for attachment to the transom of a boat and having recesses or apertures therein designed to accommodate the clamping plates of an outboard motor. The elongated plate is provided with longitudinally extendin channels designed to accommodate clamping bars which straddle the threaded clamping members and overlie the clamping plates on these threaded members. While the clamping bars are in place it is impossible to remove the motor intact.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a means of adjusting the size of the apertures or recesses into which the clamping plates extend. Slides are provided on opposed sides of the recesses or apertures which limit the size of these apertures and which act to center the clamping plates in the apertures, thus insuring alignment of the threaded clamping members with th locking members.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the foilowing specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure l is a perspective view of my outboard motor lock showing the construction thereof.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the rear of the lock.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the transom of a boat and through the lock and a portion of the outboard motor showing the manner in which the outboard motor is locked in place.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the motor lock showing the arrangement of parts therein.

The outboard motor lock is indicated in general by the letter A. This lock includes an elongated plate ii! designed for attachment to the transom ll of a row boat or the like. The elongated plate lii is shown as being generally rectangular in outline and issufliciently thick so that it can not be readily broken. The longitudinal upper and lower edges 12 and I3 are beveled as illustrated to prevent. a better surface and better appearance.

The upper edge [2 of the plate It is provided with spaced bosses l4, l5, It, and I! which are flush with the forward surface of the plate. These bosses are apertured to accommodate screws or bolts, the use of' screws being preferred as such elements can not-be readily detached from a point on the opposite side of the transom. The apertures are indicated in general by the numeral l9.

A pair of bosses 2t and 2| are provided on the lower edge l3 of the plate, these bosses extending flush with the forward surface of the plate. These bosses 20 and 2! are apertured as indicated at 22 for accommodation of fastening screws or similar elements.

The plate iii is provided with two spaced elongated apertures therethrough, the apertures being designated by the numerals 23 and 24. These apertures 23 and 2d are sufiiciently large to accommodate the clamping plates 25 supported upon the ends of the threaded clamping elements 28 extending through the attaching brackets 26 of the outboard motor. The specific shape or character of these clamping members, clamping plates, and attaching brackets are of little interest in the present application, it only being necessary that the clamping plates 25extendinto the apertures 23 and 24.

A. transverse rib 28 projects forwardly from the front Surface of the plate it near one end of the plate. A second rib 27 extends transversely of the plate in near the center thereof, this rib 2'! being preferably at approximately the mid-point of the plate. The forwardly projecting lug 29also extends transversely across the plate It near the end thereof opposite that supporting the rib 26. The lug Ed has an aperture 39 extending therethrough for accommodation of the padlock or similar lock.

longitudinally extending grooves 3| and 32 extend throughout the length of the body Iii, these grooves being parallel and being designed to accommodate generally cylindrical locking rods 33 and 34. The grooves 3| and 32 permit a portion of the locking rods to be imbedded directly inthe attaching plate. Holes may be provided through the ribs 26 and 21 and through the lug 29 in axial alignment with the grooves 31 and 32 to permit the locking rods 33 and 34 to extend beneath the same. In preferred form, however, the rear surface of the plate is recessed or apertured beneath these ribs 26 and 21 and the lug 29, so that the drilling of holes is rendered unnecessary.

The rods 33 and 34 are held in spacedparallel relation by a connecting member 35, which is shown of the same general outline shape as the lug 29 and the adjacent end of the plate [0. An aperture 36 is provided, in the connectin'g member 35 this aperture 36 being aligned with the aperture 36 of the lug 29' when the rods 33" and 34 are engage" in theholes or recesses through the lugs and ribs. The holes extending through the rib 255 are designated by the numeral 37. The holes or recesses through the rib 2! are designated by the numeral 39. The hol'e'sor" recesses through the lug 29' are designated by the numeral 40.

The operation of my device is extremely sim pie. The plate Ii! is secured to the transom H of a boat extending transversely along the transom near the upper edge" thereof. Theoutboard motor is mounted upon the transom in the" usual way, the mounting brackets 25 extending over the upper edge of the boat transom H and the upper edge of the plate Ill. The clani'ping screws 28 are then screwed inwardly to urge the clamping plates 25 agains'tthe tran sofii. The clamping plates 25 extend through the apertures 23 and 24. When engaged in this way parts of the outboard motor extend dverthe apertures 19 and 22 so as to prevent the removal" of the attaching screws or bolts.

The locking member, comprising the rods 34 and their connecting member 35, are next inserted through the aligned apertures 37, 39 and 40 in the ribs 26 and 21 and the lug 29, these rbds engaging' in the spaced parallel grooves 31 and- 32. The rods 33 and 34 straddle the threadedelement 28 of the outboard motor attaching clamps and extend outwardly of the clamping plates- 25, as best illustrated in Figu-re 3 ofthe drawings. As a result the motor can not become accidentally detached from the boat without' knowledge of the operator.

When the locking rocls are in place the conheating member 35 is closely adjacent to the lug 29. By inserting the padlock through these aligned openings, the locking part of the structure is held in place and the motor is securely locked to the boat. This structure is extremely effective in preventing the theft of the outboard motor.

As illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the rear surface 4| of the plate Iii is provided with parallel longitudinally extending grooves 42 and 43. Generally rectangular rods 44 and 4-5 are slidably supported in these grooves 42 and 43. These rods 44 and 45 extend along opposite edges of the apertures 23 and 2-; to decrease the height of these apertures. In other words, when the rods- 42 and 43 are in place the effective size of 4 the apertures 23 and 24 is decreased. This enables the operator of a smaller motor to use the plate [0 even though the apertures of the plate are designed for a larger motor.

Outboard motors are made in various sizes. The larger sizes of motors are equipped with clamping plates of larger diameter than the smaller sizes of motors. By providing the grooves 42 and 43 and therods' 44 and 45, the same platem'ay be used to accommodate either large or small motors and still centering the threaded clamping members 28 relative to the apertures. For simplicity of operation, it is desirable that the threaded shanks 46 be at all times centered. in the apertures so that the rods 33 and 34 will properly straddle the clamping bolt. It will be noted that the clamps 42 and 43 communicate with the end of the plate In against which the connecting member 35 engages so that when the plate Ii) is in position on the boat, the bars 44 and 45 may be inserted into the grooves from one end of the plate and these'bars will be held in place by the connecting member 35.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I'have described the principles of construction and operation of my outboard motor lock, and while I- haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof; I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit-oimy invention.

I claim:

1. A locking device for use in conjunction with an outboard motor having a pair of spaced clamping screws provided with clamping plates on their extremities, the device" comprising an elongated plate having a pair of apertures extending therethrough of asize proper to accommodate said clamping plates, and a pair of arms slidably supported by said body for slidable movement over said apertures, said bars being designed to straddle the clamping members outwa-rdly of' said clamping plates to hold said clamping plates engaged in said apertures.

2'. The structure described in claim 1 and in which said bars extend slidably through spaced projections on said plate.

3. The structure described in claim 1 and ineluding means for holding said bars in position overlying said apertures.

4. A locking device for locking an outboard motor to a support, the outboard motor for which the locking device is intended having a pair of spaced clamping members including threaded clamping bolts having clamping plates supported at the ends thereof, the locking device comprising an elongated plate secured to said support, said plate having a pair of apertures therethrough in longitudinally spaced relation, said apertures being of suitable size to accommodate said clamping plates, and a pair of locking bars siidably supported by said elongated plate for movement longitudinally thereof, said bars being supported by said elongated plate, spaced forward projections on said elongated plate through which said clamping bars extend, said clamping bars sliding over said apertures, in spaced parallel relation, said bars being designed to straddle the clamping bolts of the motor outwardly of said clamping plates to hold said clamping plates engaged in said apertures.

5. The structure described in claim 4 and including parallel elongated grooves in said elongated plate for accommodating said clamping bars.

6. The structure described in claim 4 and including a connecting member at one end of said bars for connecting said bars and supporting the same for movement in unison.

7. The structure described in claim 4 and including a connecting member connecting said bars for movement in unison, said connecting member and said elongated plate having cooperable aligned apertures therethrough for accommodation of a locking means.

8. The structure described in claim 4 and including bars removably supported by said body to extend along opposite sides of said apertures to limit the size of said apertures.

WOO'DROW K. KNUTSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,472,704 Homan June 7, 1949 2,521,875 Showalter Sept. 12, 1950 

